Patto under pressure

8:00am Friday 3rd October 2008

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DARREN Patterson has been left in no doubt by the new Oxford United chairman that on-field results must improve.

Kelvin Thomas, who took over yesterday from Nick Merry, said the U's have to get back to winning and climbing the Blue Square Premier table.

And while Thomas's immediate priority is to get the club on a sound financial footing – which effectively means getting the club through the next six months – it was clear Patterson has much less time to turn the team's fortunes around.

Asked if Patterson has the new chairman's complete backing, Thomas said: "Darren is the manager of this football club for the moment.

"Darren has to understand he is in the business of winning football matches, but we have also got to be careful not to make knee-jerk announcements if we go from a good result to a bad result."

Board members held a meeting with Oxford United staff yesterday afternoon to inform them about Merry stepping down, the changes at the top, and to give assurances that they don't need to worry about not being paid.

"Our goal is to provide a successful, self-sufficent football club," Thomas said.

"Nick has put everything, physically and mentally, into the football club and I'm glad I can come and help take some of that burden off him.

"Nick had, and has, certain goals he wanted to achieve, and he'd got very close to that. Maybe a fresh face, a different energy and impetus and a different skills set is in the best interests of the club.

"All this had taken a big toll on him, the physical and mental strain has been immense. It would be interesting to compare a picture of him now to a picture of him when he took over."

Jim Smith admitted: "It's a big disappointment how it's turned out, but he sees himself as still having a big part to play in this club, he's just taking a step back.

"You can't hide the fact that we've got to start winning football matches."

Patterson, meanwhile, will be without leading scorer James Constable for tomorrow's home game against Rushden.

"He has a knee problem and won't be fit," he said.

"But a big positive for us is that Jamie Guy has trained all week and is looking good."

Former Brentford and Bradford midfielder Paul Evans looks set to be on the bench.